Manufacture of railroad-ties from the refuse of sugar-cane



EDWARD 0. LE BOURGEOIS, OF

MANUFACTURE OF RAILROAD-TIES PATENT OFFIC SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

FROM THE REFUSE 0F SUGAR-CANE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 278,978, dated une 5, 1883. Application filed October 28, 1882. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD 0. LE BOUR- GEOIS, a citizen of the United States, of Spring field, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Railroad-Ties, 860., from the Refuse of Sugar- Gane; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the utilization of bagasse or the refuse cane of sugar-works in the manufacture of railroad-ties and other analogous articles; and it consists in submitting the cane to pressure for extracting the saccharine juices, then continuing the pressure until the cane is pressed into a solid body of the desired shape.

It is a wellknown fact that the refuse cane or bagasse of sugar-works is practically a waste product or material. Many attempts have been made to utilize the same as a fuel, 850., but without substantial success, so that the accumulations of this waste or refuse material often proves a nuisance instead of a benefit to the sugar or sirup manufacturer. I

In carrying out my invention, Itake the sugar-cane or bagasse and subject it to a pressure sufficient to form therewith a compact and in effect a solid mass of the required or desired shape, the press having been previously arranged to form the desired article. In the present application, and to more fully illustrate my invention, I have chosen to apply or use the product produced for railroad-ties, a l in doingso a press of the desired length and width is usec The uncrushed cane or the bagasse is smoothly and evenly arranged within the press, and the requisite pressure exerted to form the mass in a compact arti'cle, the saccharine matter left in serving as a preservation rather than a deleterious agent, for it is a well-known fact that sugar-cane is almost imperishable and not readily affected by moisture so long as the saccharine matter is held int-aot, which .can be done by any neutralizing agent which will prevent the saccharine matter from turning into an acid. I may find it necessary and expedient, in order to more readily compact the material, to subject the same to the action of steam, after all or most of the saccharine juices have been taken from the cane, for the purpose of softening the cane and rendering it more easily compacted. 1 The use of steam will more particularly be'necessary and applicable when bagasse or cane is used which has been previously subjected to the action of expressing-rolls.

It is obvious that this material may be utilized for the manufacture of various articles other than that named, and for this reason I do not wish to limit myself to this particular article.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is g 1. The method herein described of forming articles of manufacture from sugar-cane or bagasse, the same consisting in subjecting the cane to pressure, with or without steam, until the saccharine juices have been expelled and continuing the pressure until the cane is formed into a practically solid body, as set forth.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a railroad-tie formed from sugar-cane or bagasse' when compressed into a solid or practically solid body, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention I affix signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWVARD 0. LE BOURGEOIS. Vitnesses:

B. F. MoRsELL,

EDWARD E. ELLIs. 

